Eusebeia Bible Church - Pastor Ed Collins
The Doctrine of Suffering - Job – Part 58: Shadows of the Cross
June 24, 2010
OUTLINE:
God’s Patience
The fact that God allows His children to flounder around for a while, taking their lumps and learning along the way is a magnificent thing.
God’s Patience
God’s patience allows time for His grace to reveal itself to man, which by design, is meant to lead man to repentance.
Patience vs. Repentance
There is a very close relationship between God’s patience and our repentance.
God’s Debt?
God owes nothing to man, yet He continues to pour out blessings upon all of His children.
God’s Grace & Patience
There are million of unbelievers still alive on earth, in good health and prosperity, far beyond the age of accountability, yet they are not in hell. That’s grace!
God’s Essence
It’s a beautiful thing to be able to recognize God’s essence as it relates to life.
Conditional Promises
Attitude counts when acting on God’s conditional promises! (note: not all of God’s promises are conditional).
Faith-Rest
A person must BELIEVE that God will deliver on His promises.
Some Final Testing
Job must exercise mercy and forgiveness.
His friends must exercise humility and repent
OT Faith
Although the OT saints (like Job & friends) may not have had the full picture of Jesus Christ, the man, they certainly clung to a faith that pivoted on His work!
The Cross Revealed
Abel’s “better sacrifice” was the one pointing to the promises of God’s salvation, pointing to the Cross!
Atonement
There’s no magical power in the blood, only that it represents life. It is a judicial act of substitution. One life sacrificed for another as a covering for sin. Forgiveness on this basis is an act of grace.
Faith
Salvation and deliverance, whether OT or NT, has always been the same. It begins with faith alone in Christ alone and continues on the basis of that Truth.
Faith
“BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Rom 1:17; Hab 2:4)
“perfecter”
from teleioten - means a completer or the one who brings to final attainment; finisher
tetelestai
“it is finished” (John 19:30)
Faith
Job, like all OT believers, understood his need for a Savior (Christ), implying that he also understood the insufficiency of animal sacrifices. Burnt offerings were an outward manifestation of an inward faith in Christ.
Faith
Faith is not a mechanical thing. Faith may be expressed by word or deed, but God examines the heart.
The Basis of His Promises
When we rebound (1Jo 1:9), we are claiming the promises of God for restoration based on the integrity of God towards the finished work of the Cross.
Attitude & Faith
Attitude towards BD, which includes the grace provision of the Cross, is what matters - faith being the root of that attitude.
Job’s Forgiveness
Job must forgive his friends for their previous actions so that his attitude towards them is as Christ’s was towards His enemies.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness often plants the seed of repentance in others. Stepping towards someone who’s wronged you may just be all the impetus needed to have them step towards you.
Mercy
Mercy can be shown only to the merciful. He who prays for another cannot entertain enmity against that person.
Type of Christ
The forgiving spirit of Job is a foreshadowing of the love of TLJC and of Christians towards enmity with others.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is most beneficial to the owner of it. Forgiveness leads a person out of captivity to the enmity one might have against others.
Job 11:6
Highlights the fact that God’s mercy keeps us from getting the full weight of divine discipline that we truly deserve based on our iniquity. Divine patience is in view.
Doctrinal Orientation
It’s a beautiful thing when people align to the will of God!
